Vote Flipping Video Shows Poor Electronic Plebiscite

The first time I read about the idea of electronic voting was in John Brunner's 1975 novel The Shockwave Rider. In the novel, the protagonist creates a tapeworm that forces an electronic plebiscite on two basic issues.

From 0700 local until 1900 every veephone on the continent would display, over and over, two propositions, accompanied by a spoken version for the benefit of the illiterate. Most would be in English, but some would be in Spanish, some in Amerind languages, some in Chinese ... the proportions being based on the latest continental census. After each repetition would follow a pause, during which any adult could punch into the phone his or her code, followed by a "yes" or "no."
(Read more about Brunner's electronic voting)

Fast-forward to the present where, a generation later, we're trying electronic voting. Take a look at this video of voting machines in West Virginia.

(Vote flipping video from West Virginia)

Nick Haflinger, where are you when we need you?

Scroll down for more stories in the same category. (Story submitted 10/30/2008)